I don't know if you're from the east, but that argument is typically made from someone who lives in the east and hunts woods. Considered by many to be the optimum long-range, large-game cartridge, the .300 Winchester Magnum has proven itself worldwide. I wasnt there to see it actually happen, but I dont doubt that it could have. A .270 Win is one of the flattest shooting rifles that won't beat you silly, but it still drops over three feet at 500 yds (and don't forget wind drift; it's easily =/< to drop, always a big factor). Been shooting this particular caliber since I bought my first legal rifle at the old age of 18 lol. The 26 Nosler cartridge was designed with the high ballistic coefficient (B.C.) Flattest at 1,000 yards Here's where things start to change. | So, you get much better performance from the 6.5 PRC versus the .300 Win. I may be wrong, and its ok for me to be wrong. It's a quick and easy swap. We haven't gotten any trigger time with it yet, but I'm hoping to do some testing soon. Most often you just have to buy a Weatherby rifle to get one, and while that used to be an expensive proposition, its not anymore. If you've only shot 150 yards in the woods, that shot may seem really tough. Heres your winner. However, none of these choices are necessarily easy on the pocketbook, with most loads over $1/round. keeps reinventing itself to remain relevant. I also want to give credit to a couple of long-range AR cartridges that deserve honorable mention. got another cut at the plate thanks in large part to Jeff Hoffman, the owner of Black Hills Ammunition, who successfully advocated for loading the .300 with a 220-grain bullet at 2,800 fps. Nosler Trophy Grade Accubond 165-grain .308 Win. Barnes and Remington also have loads for hunting and long-range precision shooting. A: Kelly, it depends on the distance across which you want to measure. If that is 100 yards for him fine, it might 1200 yards for me given my skills , equipment, training, & practice.. the flattest cartridge I can find. After reaching out to 1,250 yards on a trip to the amazing High Bar Homestead in Gillette, WY, I am now a firm believer in the .224 Valkyrie. It is a screamer, and with increased velocity comes increased range. Those predictable velocities mean that shooters can calculate their trajectories at longer ranges with extreme confidence. 30 years later still shooting this caliber even though I do have the 6.5 CM too. The best long-range cartridge in the world might be the .408 Chey-Tac. There are many of us who have rifles to attempt to master the art of long range steel shooting. There's plenty of setups out there where 500 yd shots are simple things. The intended use and shooters budget play a major role in determining which is best. Thats what makes a long-range hunters heart go pitter patter, and its what has kept Weatherby in business since 1945. The 27 Nosler bests the .270 Winchester by about 400 fps with 150-grain bullets. In the open plains, 300 yards in 15 mph winds is the starting place. Just my 2 cents plus change. Now, the .280 AI is finally a SAAMI-approved cartridge, and while ammunition options are sparse, its performance is right there with the 7mm Remington Magnum. i think the 50 bmg would make most every ones list on this topic. The difference between hunting in the forested mountains and chasing deer out where the deer regularly start running away 400 yards out if they see you creates a whole different experience. Different shooters will all have different calibers that are better suited for their specific goal or mission. That is just my opinion. Of these the 6mm Dasher is the current champ, in terms of popularity and winning. That is also something to take account of with regards to a hunting bullet. Numbers are one thing. To put that in perspective, seven-thousands of an inch is the equivalent thickness of two sheets of paper. There is no one-size-fits all answer when it comes to the best long-range calibers. or .30/06 could make that claim was an age ago. Ive used it with great success on mule deer, whitetails, elk, and moose. Both are great game droppers. While this may not be the first cartridge that comes to mind for long-range shooting, with an appropriate bullet, the compact .223 Remington or 5.56 NATO is more than capable of shooting over 500 yards with accuracy. But I suspect the 220 Swift will hang on as our Flat Trajectory Champ or close to it at quasi-sensible hunting distances. If you want to shoot flat and hit hard, this is the cartridge; at 1,000 yards it hits with more than 1,500 foot-pounds of energy. The 6.5 PRC can remain supersonic out beyond 1,600 yards or so, but ammunition options are limited. While there isnt much of a cheap alternative for 6.5 CM ammunition, Lucky Gunner lists S&B 140-grain FMJs for $0.78/round. It is the flattest shooting option you can get. We really neednt measure individual cartridges/bullets because just two things determine drop: muzzle velocity and bullet B.C. That's not really far, but it goes to show you that having the right gear and understanding the science behind it all makes it possible to shoot very far with a very high degree of consistency. wanting to hunt with it as wells a compete win PRC Im thinking it is all that Ineed and a little more. What about the guy who wants to go long with his AR-15? The Navy switched to 190-grain Sierra Matchking HPBT's. Charged with Reloder 19 and 22 powders, the round performed well at 1,000 yards during the Navy's accuracy testing with the extreme spreads of the groups measuring 10.79 and 10.68 inches respectively. Wrong on all accounts. shooting a 180-grain Accubond, one of the finest hunting bullets around. Based on the old .404 Jeffery case, its the same length as the .30/06, which means it works in standard-length actions. But the military also discovered the benefits of the .300 Win. Originally established in 2003 for the AR15 platform, it is now available in bolt-action rifles as well. One needs look no further than how the 6.5 Creedmoor and its kin have fared in precision rifle competitions, winning time and again when the shots are on small targets at 1,000 yards or more. was once sensible enough to try eliminating invasive species from public lands instead of spending millions to protect and increase them.) Maximum effective range is out to 1,200 yards, and the round really comes into its own at 800 to 1,000. You'll now receive newsletters of our best articles on techniques, Everything on this list at the face value of the descriptor "long range" can be beaten out by better rounds, all of them. At the same 2950 fps muzzle velocity, the drop of the bullet at 600 and 800 yards is 76 and 163 inches, respectively. There are a lot of reasons for this. The most accurate long-range caliber cant be reduced to a single answer. A great flat shooter. Soon after, the .300 Win. These days the 26 Nosler and 6.5-300 Wby. No, its not a 6.5 Creedmoor, but few things are. That lineup started with the .264 Win. So make your pick wisely, and then get to shooting, because a cartridge can only be as accurate as the one firing it. The .224 Valkyrie is the flattest shooting 0.224 caliber cartridge you can put in an AR-15. What were your extra parameters here? I fully AGREE. Besides recoil, the downside is the limited availability of factory ammunition and rifles. With the right bullet and (as always) good shot placement, the 6.5 Creedmoor hits hard. I mention 600 fairly arbitrarily because we owe it to the animal to try to get as close as we can. 6mm vs. 6.5mm vs. Big 30s In 100/200 yard Benchrest shooting, the 6PPC is pretty much king of the hill. Throw in the extra expense of spotting scopes, expensive scopes and precision rifle builds, time for reloading sub MOA cartridges, etc., and one can see a lot of time, money and devotion are required. It drops almost 400 inches at 1000 yards and drifts 100 inches at the same with a 10 MPH full value wind. If you take a left turn, you can go through an endless list of wildcat cartridges as well. For long rang range hunting my list would go .257 Weatherby Magnum, the flattest shooting hunting cartridge period, Next the 6.5-.300 Weatherby Magnum, it outperforms any other 6.5 period, The .30-378 Weatherby holds 120 grains of water and outperforms any other .30 caliber cartridge and has the longest point blank range of any .30, including the Lazzeronis. The 300 PRC will cruise above the speed of sound out to 1,650 yards. Need to drop an Elk at 500 yards? Only a handful of .277-caliber cartridges are made today, but the .270 Winchester is still by far the most popular, given all the guns and loads out there for it. I know plenty of people who can actually do that and even they won't shoot at game beyond 300 or 400 yards, depending on the wind. Loaded with a 130-grain bullet, it will carry more than 1000 foot-pounds of energy out past 600 yards. Type your email address and well send With the ability to handle more aerodynamic bullets than the .270 Winchester or the .270 WSM, the 6.8 Western and its 1-in-8 twist rate allows this cartridge to outperform both at distance. At 600 and 800 yards the drop is 65 and 137 inches, respectively. The third time proved to be the charm. While the retained velocity and energy is 1937 fps / 1500 ft-lb and 1656 fps / 1096 ft-lb at 600 and 800 yards. Also look at Federal Premiums 180-grain Nosler AccuBond offering at 2,960 fps. Mag, which were rolled out in 1958. (Even though the term cartridges is correct, the common usage of caliber dictates why this story is called Best Long-Range Calibers rather than Best Long-Range Cartridges.). It is the Madonna of long-range rounds. And to reach out that faryoull need some quality glass, so check out our article on the Best Long Range Scopes. Not long ago, Team Global Precision Group used the .416 Barrett to ring steel at a mind-blowing 6,012 yards (3.4 miles, 5497 meters, 18,036 feet). Wind drift @10mph. This is probably my inexperience talking but I have to ask why, when evaluating long range potential, the evaluations are always limited to flight path and ringing steel? I made my selection of long range calibers based on my experiences hunting, shooting, and competing with these loads. I had my own doubts because I am a bit of a cynic. The password should contain at least 8 characters with at least one number or special character. BUCK DOYLE. But truth be told, every Weatherby cartridge is a long-range cartridge. To salvage the project, the Navy switched to 185-grain Lapua FMJs, which went into production in 1990. Is the starting place pitter patter, and its flattest shooting caliber to 1,000 yards has kept Weatherby in business since 1945 soon! 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Platform, it depends on the distance across which you want to measure deserve honorable mention one number or character! Availability of factory ammunition and rifles you 've only shot 150 yards in the open,. That in perspective, seven-thousands of an inch is the flattest shooting option you can go an... Any trigger time with it yet, but i suspect the 220 will.

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